The first white man to see the state of Vermont was a French fur trader and explorer named Samuel de Champlain. He had been a leader of a band of Frenchmen who settled the city of Quebec, in Canada the year before. Champlain made friends with the AlgonquinIndians. They told him about a very fine lake, they called Petowbowk Lake, which was some distance to the southwest of Quebec. Champlain wished to see this lake. He asked the Native Americans if they would guide him through the woods. He promised that if they would show him the way, he would help them fight any of their enemies. The Natives said that some of the enemies lived in the valley near the lake.
As far as weknow, the trip was taken by boat down the Richelieu River from Quebec, with no sign of danger. It is believed that on July 4, 1609, Champlain saw the beautiful lake the Native Americans had told him about. He also saw the mountain range which we call the Green Mountains. He and his Algonquinfriends spent about 3 weeks sailing on the lake. He named the lake his own name, and even today it is called Lake Champlain.
While exploring downthe lake, Champlain saw no sign of the Native American settlements he had expected to see. But one evening near the foot of the lake, he and his friends met a band of the enemy Native Americans. These Native Americans were a part of a powerful tribe named the Iroquois. There were three times as many Iroquois as Champlain had men! They saw the small group of white men and prepared to fight the next day. The Iroquois thought it would be an easy fight. But Champlain and his men had guns, called muskets, which the Iroquois had never seen. The Iroquois ran away in fright, leaving about 50 Native Americansbehind. Champlain and his friends took some of the Iroquois prisoners back to Quebec with them.
This battle seems to be the story of just a little fight with the Native Americans. But it was very important, because the Iroquois were NEVER to forgive the French. They always helped the English in fighting the French to see who would rule North America. Of course, Champlain's Indian friends, the Algonquin’s, helped the French. But the Iroquois were a braver and stronger group. Maybe this is why, many years later, the English won all of France’s claims to North America. Perhaps this little battle of Champlain helped decided who would win.
Champlain made a map of his discoveries. He called the lake, Lake Champlain. He named the mountains that he had seen "Verd Mont” which are the French words for Green Mountains. It is said that he also named a river which flowed into the lake "La Mouette”. This is the French word for gull, and there were many gulls at the mouth of the river. But when the map was copied in France, the mapmaker forgot to cross the t’s, and so the river has come down to us named Lamoille.
Champlain went back to Quebec, and he never returned to Vermont. But because he had been here, the French claimed allof western Vermont. It was fifty-seven years later, 1666, when the French sent about 300 soldiers to build a fort. They built Fort St. Anne on Isle La Motte. Some of the French were traders who received furs from the Abnaki in exchange for wool blankets, metal pots, and guns. Along with the traders came missionaries. They taught the Abenaki about the Catholic religion and tried to make the Native Americans give up their traditional beliefs. Settlers disrupted the Abenaki way of life.
Without meaning to, the newcomers brought deadly germs. Unlike the Europeans, the Abenaki had never been exposed to smallpox, measles, cholera, and some other diseases. Nothing the Abenaki healers did could make their people well, and many of the Indians died. The fort was abandoned in 1679, ending Vermont’s first white settlement.
Although the fort did not last very long, the French built other forts on the lake and the King of France granted large pieces of land to French noblemen. These landlords agreed to have their grants settled and to govern the people who came from France to work the land.
The French settlements were not a great success. The largest of the French settlements was at Chimney Point, on Lake Champlain. With the fort as protection, for about 30 years as many as 300 men, women and children lived in the village, until they were driven out in 1759. When the French left they burned down all of their buildings rather than let anyone else have them. Only some chimneys outlined against the sky, remained to give Chimney Point its name.
Information included from: Uniquely Vermont by Emily Raabe Vermont by Learner Publications Company
The first white man to see the state of Vermont was a French fur trader and explorer named Samuel de Champlain. He had been a leader of a band of Frenchmen who settled the city of Quebec, in Canada the year before. Champlain made friends with the Algonquin Indians. They told him about a very fine lake, they called Petowbowk Lake, which was some distance to the southwest of Quebec. Champlain wished to see this lake. He asked the Native Americans if they would guide him through the woods. He promised that if they would show him the way, he would help them fight any of their enemies. The Natives said that some of the enemies lived in the valley near the lake.
As far as weknow, the trip was taken by boat down the Richelieu River from Quebec, with no sign of danger. It is believed that on July 4, 1609, Champlain saw the beautiful lake the Native Americans had told him about. He also saw the mountain range which we call the Green Mountains. He and his Algonquinfriends spent about 3 weeks sailing on the lake. He named the lake his own name, and even today it is called Lake Champlain.
While exploring downthe lake, Champlain saw no sign of the Native American settlements he had expected to see. But one evening near the foot of the lake, he and his friends met a band of the enemy Native Americans. These Native Americans were a part of a powerful tribe named the Iroquois. There were three times as many Iroquois as Champlain had men! They saw the small group of white men and prepared to fight the next day. The Iroquois thought it would be an easy fight. But Champlain and his men had guns, called muskets, which the Iroquois had never seen. The Iroquois ran away in fright, leaving about 50 Native Americansbehind. Champlain and his friends took some of the Iroquois prisoners back to Quebec with them.
This battle seems to be the story of just a little fight with the Native Americans. But it was very important, because the Iroquois were NEVER to forgive the French. They always helped the English in fighting the French to see who would rule North America. Of course, Champlain's Indian friends, the Algonquin’s, helped the French. But the Iroquois were a braver and stronger group. Maybe this is why, many years later, the English won all of France’s claims to North America. Perhaps this little battle of Champlain helped decided who would win.
Champlain made a map of his discoveries. He called the lake, Lake Champlain. He named the mountains that he had seen "Verd Mont” which are the French words for Green Mountains. It is said that he also named a river which flowed into the lake "La Mouette”. This is the French word for gull, and there were many gulls at the mouth of the river. But when the map was copied in France, the mapmaker forgot to cross the t’s, and so the river has come down to us named Lamoille.
Champlain went back to Quebec, and he never returned to Vermont. But because he had been here, the French claimed allof western Vermont. It was fifty-seven years later, 1666, when the French sent about 300 soldiers to build a fort. They built Fort St. Anne on Isle La Motte. Some of the French were traders who received furs from the Abnaki in exchange for wool blankets, metal pots, and guns. Along with the traders came missionaries. They taught the Abenaki about the Catholic religion and tried to make the Native Americans give up their traditional beliefs. Settlers disrupted the Abenaki way of life.
Without meaning to, the newcomers brought deadly germs. Unlike the Europeans, the Abenaki had never been exposed to smallpox, measles, cholera, and some other diseases. Nothing the Abenaki healers did could make their people well, and many of the Indians died. The fort was abandoned in 1679, ending Vermont’s first white settlement.
Although the fort did not last very long, the French built other forts on the lake and the King of France granted large pieces of land to French noblemen. These landlords agreed to have their grants settled and to govern the people who came from France to work the land.
The French settlements were not a great success. The largest of the French settlements was at Chimney Point, on Lake Champlain. With the fort as protection, for about 30 years as many as 300 men, women and children lived in the village, until they were driven out in 1759. When the French left they burned down all of their buildings rather than let anyone else have them. Only some chimneys outlined against the sky, remained to give Chimney Point its name.
Information included from:
Uniquely Vermont by Emily Raabe
Vermont by Learner Publications Company